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No. 335,010. y Patented Jan. 26., 1886..

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1v1. R. BISSELL 85W. J. DREW.

CARPET SVS/113mm.

No. s362010. Patented Jan. 26, 1886.

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Nrrnn rares PATNT MELV'ILLE R. BISSELL AND TALTER J. DREW, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHI- GAN, ASSIGNORS TO THE BISSELL CARPET SVEEPER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CARPETn-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,010, dated January 26, 1886.

Application filed August 15, 1884. Serial No. 140,658. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MELviLLE R. BIssnLL and VALTER J. DREW, citizens of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in CarpetASWeepers, of which the following is a specification.

'lhisinvention relates to that class of carpetsweepers in which the drive-wheels that turn the rotary brush-shaft by frictional contact are located outside the end walls of the sweeper-casing, the latter being also provided with an encircling elastic band for preventing the drive-wheels and said casing from coming iu cont-act and marring furniture, dto.

The invention consist-s in the combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, illustrating` my invention, in Which- Figurel is a plan view ofthesweeper-casing, showing the manner of attaching and support ing the endless elastic bumper or protectingband. Fig. 2 is au end view ofthe casing with its exterior driving-wheels and other attach- 25 ments. Fig. 8 is a section parallel with the sweeper-brush, showing the openings in the end walls of the sweeper-casing for the passage of the shaft of the drive-wheels and the support for said shaft on the center of the sweeper-casing. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the bracket and spring-plate for holding the end of thejournal of the brush-shaft. Fig. 5 is a detail view of part of said brush-shaft. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on line ma, Fig. 1.

The reference-numeral 1 indicates the sweeper-casing, Which is of any desired form or construction and incloses the revolving brush 2, and the pivoted or dumping dust receptacles or pans 3, as in sweepers heretofore devised. Upon the vertical side walls of said sweepercasing lies an endless band, 4, of elastic or yielding material, having sufficient thickness 4 to project from said casing far enough to prevent it from coming in contact with the Walls or the furniture of the room. This band is preferably made of india-rubber, because its elasticity not only retains it in place but renders it the most desirable material for the purpose for which it is intended. Upon the cor- 5o ners of the sweeper-casing and projecting beyond the ends a suitable distance we mount brackets or other supports, 5, upon which the band rests. The projection of these brackets is sufficient to enable the band to clear the driving-wheels 6, arranged outside the end walls of the sweeper-casing and the brackets or hangers 7, in which the brush-shaft has its bearings. From the point where the elastic band leaves the supports 5it extends across the ends of the casing about opposite the 6o journals of the drive-wheels, and it may have a central support upon the hangers 7, in which the brush-shaft has its bearings.

Instead of resorting to brackets 5 or other attachable supports, we may silnply extend the side walls of the casing, forming a projecting-end, 8, (seen at the left-hand side of Fig. 1,) upon which the band may lie, the eX- tension being sufficient t0 give it the necessary clearance. A notch may also be cut in the 7o out-er angle of this projection, within which the band may lie and by Which it Will be retained in place, its own tension causing it to t closely therein. The drive-wheels 6 are mounted on shafts 11,that run parallel with the brush-shaft on each side thereof and extend through openings 12, made in the end Walls of the sweeper-casing. These opening :are of such a size that the drive-wheel shafts can move therein to bring the drive-wheels more or less 8o in contact with the frictionwheels on the ends of the brush-shaft. Brackets or pendent4 plates 13 project from the interior of the central portion of the sweeper'casing and bear upon the middle portion of each drive-Wheel shaft. These brackets are pivoted to blocks on the interior of the casing, and have forked lower ends that fit on the drive-Wheel. shafts, and thus form central bearings for the latter.

The object of fitting the drive-Wheel shafts 9o in enlarged openings formed in the end walls of the sweeper-casing and providing the central bearings is to cause the drivelwheels to be pressed against the periphery ofthe intermediate friction-vvl1eel on the brush-shaft 95 whenever said drive-wheels rest upon the floor and the Weight of the sweeper is brought to bear upon the wheels. In other words, the drive-wheels, instead of being held in contact with the wheel on the brush-shaft by the acloo tion of springs, are forced upon the same and held in contact therewith by gravity or the weight of the sweeper.

By dispensing with pressure -springs the sweeper is less liable to get out of order than heretofore, and the presen ce of the peculiarlymounted j ournal-hangers will also permit the drive-wheels to be moved away from the friction-wheel on the brush-shaft, in order to allow old and worn-out rubber tires 16 on said drive-wheels to be removed and new tires to be slipped on the peripheries of said wheels, such substitution being made without detaching any parts of the sweeper.

The object of the central bearings of the drive-wheel shafts is to cause uniform or eqn al pressure to be exerted upon said shafts, which serve as a substitute for the spring-arms shown in Patent No. 285,000.

It will readily be seen that when pressure is exerted upon the casing it will be forced downward, and the brush will be consequently brought into more intimate contact with the iloor. This is accomplished by means of the rigid support afforded to the central portion of each shaft by the brackets 13 and by the elastic yield of the outer ends of said shafts. The brackets, being arranged obliquely-that is, having an inward inclination from the blocks to which they are pivoted toward the center of the casing-are in position to receive the upward and outward thrust upon the shafts caused by the downward pressure and the spreading of the drive-wheels, pro duced by thedownward movementof the brushpulleys between said wheels. This downward movement of the pulleys must of course proy duce an increased frictional contact with the drive-wheels, sineeit spreads the latter against the elasticity of the shafts carrying them. A bracket, 7, arranged at each end ofthe sweepercasing, supports the brush-shaft, the end journais on said shaft being fitted in notched seats 17 on the lower end of the brackets and retained therein by a spring tongue or plate, 18, that springs over the end of the journal. The spring-plate 18 lies in a vertical groove in the outer vertical face of the bracket 7 said bracket being -provided with a cavity, 17, in its end to receive the end of the brush-shaft.

The bracket 7 may be described as consisting of a top or plate portion that serves for attaching it to the sweeper-casing by means of screws or otherwise, a horizontal iiange projecting from the bottom of said attachingplate and a vertical or pendent post or hanger having the seat for the brush-shaft in its lower end. The notched brackets 7 and the spring tongues or plates will allow the brush-shaft to-be easily and securely tted in position and readily removed, when desired, as will be manifest without further explanation.

It will be observed that the continuous wheel-axles l1 extend through the entire length of the sweeper-case and through both end boards, thereby allowing both sets of wheels to be firmly mounted on the outside of the case. This construction also enables each wheel to be mounted at the extreme end of a long axle and affords a rm and inexpensive support for the wheels, besides facilitating the attachment of the axles to the case, and permitting suitable provision to be readily made for vertical or lai eral movement of the p'arts.

It is obvious that the axles may be arranged to revolve or the wheels only, as may be preferred.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination, with the drive-wheels, of continuous elastic shafts extending from end to end of the casing and through enlarged openings in the end walls, the brush-shaft having pulleys intermediate of said drive-wheels, and supports mounted upon the casing and engaging with the central portions of the continuous shafts, substantially as described.

2. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination, with the sweeper-casing having end walls provided with enlarged openings, of the drive-v wheels mounted on elastic continuous shafts passing through said openings and interior brackets pivoted upon blocks mounted on the casing and having an inward inclination t0- ward the point where said brackets engage with the continuous shafts, substantially as described.

3. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination of the brush-shaft, brackets having notched lower ends, and the springtongues arranged adjacent thereto, with the brush-shaft having its journal endsheld by said springs, and the sweeper-casing and driving-wheels, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence o f two witnesses. MELVILLE R. BISSELL. WTALTER J. DREW.

Vitnesses:

L. S. PRovrN, EsTELLE H. PRoyrN.

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